Improvement in compounds for currying leather



give substance to the leather.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

EDWARD S. THAYER, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMPOUNDS FOR CURRYING LEATHER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,398, dated May 28, 1878 application filed November 30, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. THAYER, of Salem, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Compounds for Treating Leather; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This compound is intended more particularly for stuffings, but is also adapted to other uses in treating leather.

It consists in an admixture of paraffine-wax and what is known in the United States marhot as degras, the same consisting of the product proceeding from the treatment of the waters coming from the wool-factories by some chemical Eprooess, the same containing the suint extracted from the wool, and the greasy and oily matters from the soaps and oils used in those factories. This compound of paraffine-wax and degras may be used either alone for the purpose, being eifective alone, or it may be used in combination with tallow or other suitable materials.

The proportions of the paraffine-wax and degras may be varied as necessity may require, but for ordinary wheel-stufling the following is preferable: Paratfine-wax, one hundred pounds; degras, two hundred pounds. The amount of tallow, if any, used with the above will be small, and may be graded as desired.

The paraffine-wax serves as the body of the compound, to fill the pores and harden and The degras serves as a solvent to cut the wax and as a vehicle to convey the wax into the pores. It

is very penetrating, and the whole forms a compound which is very efficient for the treatment of leather.

The leather produced is of a superior quality, does not turn white or gummy, and will retain for a long time its original softness. If the finished stock is too hard, more of the degras must be used; if too soft, less.

The compound can be used advantageously as a wheel-stuffin g, or as an ordinary hand-stufl'- ing, or for the treatment of finished leather. This product (degras) is well known commercially in the United States under the name designated, and is to be distinguished from a material of the same name known in France, which consists of the residue or product proceeding from the tanning of buck, goat, or sheep skins, treated by alkali to remove the oily and gelatinous matters, and which oily and gelatinous matters, together with alkali and water, form what is known there commercially as degras.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The compound hereinbefore described, consisting of paraftine-wax and what is known commercially in the United States as degras, mixed in suitable proportions and adapted to be used for treating leather, as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDVV. S. THAYER.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. BAKER, H. L. BANGROFT. 

